How to create a new input methods

1. Clone the repository to your computer machine, if you haven't
2. Create a new branch for your new input method
3. You need to create a layout file in the "rules" subfolder, and you need to edit the "jquery.ime.inputmethods.js" in the "src" folder.
4. Additionally you need to add a test in "jquery.ime.test.fixtures.js" in "test" folder
5. Make sure it passed your test, (locally and) in the automatic test
6. Publish the branch and ask for a Pull Request (PR)
7. Wait until the automatic tests is passed, and the code is reviewed and merged, and the input method is shipped to the production server.

Table of Contents Rules Src Test Testing and debugging locally

Rules

• Look for the subfolder with the language code of the language you wish to add.
  • If there's already exist that language code, you just need to go to the next step
  • If there's no folder with that language code, you need to create one.
• In that subfolder, you need to create a js file in the format of [languagecode]-[descriptor].js, where descriptor could be anything, like Tamil language has several input methods, called "ta-99.js", "ta-bamini.js", "ta-inscript.js", "ta-inscript2.js", "ta-transliteration.js" (in the folder "rules/ta/"). Other descriptors like -kbd, -keyboard, -normforms, -phonetic, -tilde, are also common.
• See the Technical-Specification on how this file works. Otherwise, you could just copy from other language input methods, and adapt it.

Src

• Edit the "jquery.ime.inputmethods.js" in the "src" folder
• You need to add your new input method under the alphabetically sorted language code, Twice.
  • First you need to register the input method
  • Then if the language is new, you need to register the language and the available input method. For example here I registered a new "btm" and "btm-keyboard"
  • Otherwise, if it's not a new language for the jquery.ime (other developer has developed input methods for that language before), then just add your new input method in the list. For example, here I added "jv-keyboard" among other jv input methods that's already available

Test

• Add a new test in "jquery.ime.test.fixtures.js" in "test" folder
• It's up to you how rigorous the test is, but ideally it should test for all possible input, and also for fringe cases.
• Everytime you update your input method, you should update the test to (and make sure it pass the previous tests as well).
• Once you upload it, it will do automatic tests, and if it fail, the code won't get reviewed until you fix the code again.

Testing and debugging locally

• Install Python 3
• Run "python3 -m http.server". It will create a little web server. It's supposed to show you a URL, probably something like http://0.0.0.0:8000/. Open a private window on your browser, go to that URL, and go to the examples directory.
  • (if you're on Windows and your jquery.ime installation is in "d:\Documents\GitHub\jquery.ime\" for example, you should run the code in that folder)
  • (if "python3 -m http.server" doesn't work, try "python -m http.server")
  • (if http://0.0.0.0:8000/ doesn't work, try http://127.0.0.1:8000/)
• (It's important to use a private window, because you are going to change the code all the time, and since this web browser is super-basic, the browser is going to be stupid about caching, and load the old version.)
• Test / debugging locally at http://127.0.0.1:8000/examples/